https://youtu.be/e8p_Jyat0SE?feature=shared
Is this the version that's on every version in the States? On TV, Blu-ray etc.
I think it's awful. The Road Warrior left a big impression on me years ago when I first saw it, and one of the main reasons was the man doing the opening and closing narration on the Australian version. Such an haunting voice.
https://youtu.be/9n29c-q3_8Q?feature=shared
I'm American and have owned and watched multiple copies of this movie since 1982, everything from taping it on cable to buying it on VHS, DVD, blu ray, just watched it recently on 4K. I'm pretty sure I've never heard that American narration before, only the Australian accented narration. I'm guessing this was specifically for the American TV broadcast version in 1984. I remember that, it was a big deal amongst my circle. But I didn't watch it, I was like, "Why should I watch some crummy censored commercial-infested version on regular TV when I have an unedited version I taped off HBO?"
shareThanks for explaining. I just came across it the other day. It was really jarring having only ever heard the Australian narration.
shareYou was right. It's known as "The Lost Version". It's described on the IMDB page under alternate versions. It was the US 1984 premiere on NBC. Apparently it contained a lot of footage throughout that's never been seen before or since because they were using alternate shots so they could cut out the most violent material. According to IMDB, it's the only version that doesn't have the Australian narrator.
shareI think the American accent is the one I remember from the VHS 80's. They dubbed the original Mad Max too. Very strange that they thought Americans would be repelled by Aussie accents.
shareThe first Mad Max has a subtle sub plot about the bikers having little tattoos. Just in case you don't know, they're little black circles with a line through it. It's also the tyre marks they leave on the road after doing an attack, rape etc to mark their territory.
Johnny Boy wants to earn his and clearly does after burning Goose because he has one on him at the latter end of the film.The US dub completely ignores this aspect of the film because in the Australian original, Max says to the mechanic "I want to know about the tattoo" but in the dub he just says he wants to know about the Toecutter again.
https://youtu.be/AXRg6yZOT3E?si=v78-Ur5XHbT0QQ7l&t=77
Damn, that must've sounded ridiculous saying toecutter again instead of tattoo.
Edit: I suppose it might work as long as he said it with different inflections, but being so used to the original I'm biased.
I was blown away when I eventually found out it was George Miller himself who made the decision to have Mad Max 1979 dubbed. It was especially distracting for me because a couple of the actors were a little too familiar from cartoons, e.g. Speed Racer.
shareEww, is that an actual US version or just something someone's made up as a fan thing?
That genuinely gave me the douche chills.
Disgusting isn't it๐
An actual US TV broadcast version on NBC from 1984.
It really is. A sad and properly low effort poorly performed shitty imitation of the awesome original monologue.
shareHarold Baigent was the narrator (the real one). He also played the lone camel rider on the desert in Gallipoli, if you've seen that. He really left a mark on RW for me without even seeing him.
The first time I saw it, I was just looking at the blank screen after the credits finished, I could hear the wind sweeping and then
"My life fades... the vision dims..." I was hooked immediately.
https://youtu.be/V5ZeJvXTL68?si=P7UJbXPa6Kblh2xJ
Excellent trivia, thanks! another Australian classic.
That's crazy, It just sounds so wrong. I've seen The Road Warrior countless times and it's really strange to hear that. But it was interesting, thanks for sharing.
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